


It's Up To You

by vampirepun



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: First Kiss, First Tattoo, M/M, Romantic Tension, Shownu is nervous, Shyness, Tattoo artist Jooheon, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-08 15:30:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18626059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vampirepun/pseuds/vampirepun
Summary: Jooheon decides to give a handsome stranger a chance-and a tattoo- even when he comes in past closing and makes him give up his day off. Somehow he finds he doesn’t mind.





	It's Up To You

Jooheon waved as his final customer of the day left the parlour, shutting the door behind her with an exasperated sigh. Her appointment had taken four hours, her arm bandaged up elbow to wrist. He had done work on her sleeve, detailed geometric designs that he still saw behind shut eyes. She hadn’t been a difficult appointment, patient and still so he could finish as fast as possible. But hours straight without a proper break left him irritated. He needed to go home and eat.

He had a routine at closing that began with flipping the sign from ‘open’ to ‘closed’, ensuring no stragglers came in last minute to beg for a hasty appointment. Today he had forgotten that step, too preoccupied with turning off the music blasting from his speakers. He needed music for this appointment, to keep him focused and energized. He went into the back to continue his closing routine, completely forgetting about the sign.

The sound of the bell dinging as the door opened made him freeze in place, body already stiffening with annoyance. He took a deep breath, walking out of the back with a bit more stomp than usual. He knew he could look intimidating when he wanted to, the fire in his eyes enough to make someone leave on their own. “Sorry, we’re closed-” He started with a definite edge in his voice, faltering when he saw who had walked in.

He was gorgeous, tall and broad with a nice body. He looked down at Jooheon past a baseball cap, eyes wide and full lips parted. Jooheon found himself gaping at him, faltering over his curt remark. “O-oh, sorry. The sign…” He pointed at the door.

“I’d meant to flip that. We’re closed, I’m not taking anymore appointments today.” He said in a softer, more apologetic tone. He watched the way the man blinked slowly as he listened to him. He nodded, inhaling through his teeth and wiping at his mouth uncomfortably.

“Ah, alright. Do you have time to book an appointment?” He asked, and Jooheon sighed. He was booked for the next four months. There was something about spring that gave everyone tattoo fever. He furrowed his brow as he thought, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He had no room to spare, but he was trying to find a way to squeeze in this perfect stranger. He’d never done that before, never wanted to.

He grit his teeth. “I have my day off this Thursday, but I don’t mind making it a half day.” He told him, his solution sacrificing one of the only days off he had that month. The stranger widened his eyes.

“Really?” When Jooheon nodded, his eyes lit up. “Thank you! I can do either morning or evening, whatever is easier for you.” He added.

Jooheon contemplated what part of the day he was willing to give to him, his heart speaking up over his head. “I’ll book you in for 4pm. Is that alright?” He walked away from where they stood to grab his bag, sweater and notebook. The stranger stayed in place, his posture slouched as if he didn’t belong.

“Yeah, yeah. That works.” He nodded, pulling off his baseball cap to wipe his hand through his hair. Jooheon put on his sweater to distract him from the rush of heat he felt reach his face. He grabbed his notebook he put all his appointments into. He pulled the pen out and opened it to the current week, upset at himself for having to fill in the blank space.

“Your name?” He asked quietly, shyly.

“Son Hyunwoo.” He answered, and Jooheon looked up at him as he wrote it down. The name suited him, and seeing him now knowing his name just made him more attractive. He added a flourish, lips tightening in embarrassment.

“Do you have an idea for your tattoo?” The question seemed to shock Hyunwoo, who furrowed his brow and looked at the floor sharply.

“Ah, not really. Just something on my shoulder blade. It’ll be my first tattoo.” He sounded embarrassed, and Jooheon watched him carefully.

“You haven’t thought this through. I don’t want to give you something you’ll regret.” He told him, and Hyunwoo looked back up.

“Oh, no. It’s not that. I would like a tattoo, I just don’t have a preference. You can put what you want there.” That made Jooheon even more intrigued by him. He nodded, adding “black- your choice” under his name. 

“You got it. My prices are up there,” He gestured up to the sign on the wall before sliding his pen back into the notebook and shutting it. “I won’t go crazy on you because it’s your first. So it shouldn’t be more than $110.”

“Right. Thank you, uh…” He waited for Jooheon to tell him his name, and Jooheon took a moment to process what he was waiting for.

“Jooheon. Lee Jooheon.” He finally spoke up, and when Hyunwooo smiled, he thought he’d die right there.

“See you Thursday.” Hyunwoo said, putting his baseball cap back on and leaving quickly and quietly. Jooheon watched him leave, still frozen in place. He blinked a few times to return to focus. He’d just allowed an appointment hinder his day off, an appointment that allowed him total control of his body to tattoo what he wanted. He swallowed hard, cheeks burning form embarrassment. He wasn’t even mad at himself for his hasty decision, already eager to see Hyunwoo again.

He finished closing, turning off his multi colour lights he put on at night for atmosphere. He made sure everything was in order for tomorrow before locking up.He had been looking forward to Thursday for the entire day off, now he was anticipating Thursday for another reason.

-

Tuesday and Wednesday were like torture, full of difficult and picky appointments that took up hours of his time. His fellow tattoo artist Minhyuk only provided entertainment and assistance for half the day, leaving him alone in the evenings to deal with orders and phone appointments. By Wednesday night, he was excited to go home and have time to sleep in in the morning.

But once he was given the opportunity to sleep the whole day away, he couldn’t, anxious for his meeting later that day. He ended up awake before noon, fiddling around his apartment nervously. He couldn’t sit still, wondering if he’d cool down enough to even face Hyunwoo again. He couldn’t stop thinking about his eyes, the way he looked at him. His expressions, the open way he thought. His mouth, the shape of his lips. And his smile. Jooheon hadn’t felt this affected since high school.

He’d wanted to wear something to impress Hyunwoo, but didn’t know what would impress him. He didn’t even know if he would be impressed by him. So he decided on what he knew looked good, a black t-shirt and tight black jeans. Minhyuk always teased him about his legs, and now he happy to have their advantage. He wore a baseball cap of his own, knowing it would only be a temporary look since he’d remove it once he got to work.

He’d spent days figuring out the design of the tattoo. Hyunwoo didn’t reveal much of his personality or taste from their brief conversation, so Jooheon had developed three different designs. They were simple geometric designs within a celestial body. One was the sun, one a star and one the moon. He’d let Hyunwoo pick his favourite.

Minhyuk left at 4, meaning he would likely see Hyunwoo in passing as he came for his appointment. Jooheon had kept his mouth shut about his crush, but Minhyuk had seen him be nervous for a few days. He would likely figure out what was affecting him once he got a good look at Hyunwoo. Jooheon stood by the entrance, fidgeting while he waited. Minhyuk grinned at him as he got his stuff together. “If you keep this up, the tattoo will be your shakiest yet.” He teased. Jooheon huffed.

“Don’t you have a date to get to?” He bit back, and Minhyuk laughed with his head tipped back.

“As a matter of fact, yes.” The door dinged with Hyunwoo’s entrance, making Jooheon stand straighter. Minhyuk looked at him with a smile before turning back to Jooheon. “While I’m on my date, you enjoy yours.” He said with a big grin. Jooheon hit him, and Minhyuk let out an offended noise before leaving with a wave. He yelled a reminder to Minhyuk to flip the sign to closed, not wanting anything to disrupt his appointment.

Jooheon smiled at Hyunwoo, greeting him and leading him over to the front desk. He looked even better than their last meeting. He’d ditched the baseball cap, his dark hair styled casually. He wore a black tank top that showed off his arms and shoulders. Jooheon couldn’t keep his eyes off of him, the way his broad shoulders made his waist look thinner. He opened his sketchbook, showing him the designs.

“These are what I came up with, is there one you’re drawn to?” He asked, wiping his finger over each one on the page. Hyunwoo looked at them closely, lips pursed together as he contemplated. He smiled softly and pointed to the moon. Jooheon perked up, Hyunwoo had picked his favourite one. “I like that one too. I made the stencils for all three, so we can get started right away.”

Hyunwoo smiled softly, looking neither excited nor nervous. Jooheon led him to his work table, watching him sit down stiffly on the chair. He let him sit that way and watch him while he prepped everything. They made light conversation.

“Why your shoulder blade? You won’t be able to see it.” Jooheon remarked as he set up the ink caps. Hyunwoo shrugged.

“I thought that would be a good spot. A lot of space there.” When he spoke, he seemed awkward. It was part of Jooheon’s job to make people comfortable, so he was determined to make him relax.

“It is a good spot, I suppose. I was an idiot and decided my neck was the best spot for my first.” he gestured to where it sat on his neck as he set up the tattooing machine. Hyunwoo angled his head to see it properly, lips parted.

“Did it hurt?” He sounded concerned, leaning his hand in as if to touch it then lowering it back down, afraid to disturb Jooheon. He wouldn’t have minded his touch, in fact he’d welcome it.

“Yeah. But you get used to it. Most people get obsessed with tattoos after getting one.” he gestured to the few scattered ones on his arms. Most people remarked on how little tattoos he actually had compared to other artists. Jooheon usually brought Minhyuk up when that was said. He only had one tattoo on his knee, a beautiful whale that covered a scar. If he got anymore, Jooheon would lose that talking point.

Hyunwoo looked at the others, nodding softly. He seemed like a naturally quiet guy, but Jooheon wanted to keep him talking. They’d have a few hours together, he didn’t want to suffer in silence. “Alright, I’m all prepped. I like to turn the lights down and play music, is that alright?” When he got another nod from Hyunwoo he stood up to finish his set up. He made the music quieter than usual, so he and Hyunwoo could talk comfortably. He adjusted the lights to blues and pinks, brightening the atmosphere. When he sat back down, he turned Hyunwoo around so he was facing away from him, giving him perfect access to his shoulder. He decided to talk Hyunwoo through it since it was his first time.

“I shave the area, just as a formality. I don’t like hairs in my way,” He spoke softly as he wiped a simple razor over his skin. Hyunwoo didn’t flinch, humming in acknowledgment. “Then I add lotion for a smooth canvas.” He cleared his throat to suppress the embarrassment, his hands finally touching his skin. He was warm, his shoulder blade solid and his arm muscular. Hyunwoo let him rub the lotion in, even if he took longer than usual. He wiped his hands clean and explained the placement of the sticker. Hyunwoo nodded again, allowing Jooheon to do what he wanted to him. The amount of trust he was putting in Jooheon was only making him more attracted. Hyunwoo was happy with the placement, and they were ready to start.

“I’m going to start now.” He always told his customers, and everytime he felt them tense up. He was careful with his first stroke, pressing the needle to Hyunwoo’s skin. He flinched, pulling away abruptly and silently. Jooheon widened his eyes in shock, seeing his body heave as he panted. “Are you okay?”

Hyunwoo nodded, but that wasn’t good enough for Jooheon. He placed a hand on his back, rubbing casual circles over his shirt. Hyunwoo took a deep breath, rubbing his neck. “Sorry, that startled me.”

“It’s alright, that’s normal. Do you need more time?” His tone was so light, he was almost talking to Hyunwoo like he would to a child. Hyunwoo shook his head, straightening his posture to brace himself. Jooheon could have hugged him, the action was so cute. He didn’t expect someone so attractive to show off his sweet side so quickly.

“Alright. I’ll be going in again. Some of the angles will make me have to lean on you. Is that okay?” He asked, and Hyunwoo nodded a few times. Jooheon hoped that meant he was eager for the touch, to match how exhilarated he was to do the same.

He started again, and this time he didn’t flinch. Everything ran smoothly as he completed the outline. Hyunwoo’s breath was comfortably even, and Jooheon grew used to the rhythm of the movement of his body. When he had to lean in slightly, face closer to him he felt comforted by his scent. He relaxed Jooheon, letting him enjoy his work. Their conversations were casual, Jooheon talking about why he got into tattoo artistry, Hyunwoo talking about his job as a dancer and his university career.

Halfway through, they took a break, Jooheon offering Hyunwoo a water bottle when he grabbed one for himself. When he came back, he found him craning his neck trying to look at what he’d done. Jooheon placed the bottle beside him. “Is it alright?” He asked carefully.

“It’s really pretty. I never thought I’d have anything pretty on me.” He remarked. Jooheon swallowed hard, needing his water more than he had before.

“You were pretty before, and you’re pretty now. Let’s get back to it.” Jooheon hid his comment under a teasing tone, urging Hyunwoo to turn away from him again so he could continue, but also to hide his embarrassed expression. As he lifted his tools back up, he saw how red Hyunwoo’s ears were.

He deepened some of the lines, adding more details to make the design really shine. He was very proud of this work, the contrast of the dark lines on his golden skin. After a few minutes, the fabric of his shirt began to get in his way. He let out a frustrated breath, not wanting to bother Hyunwoo with this small obstacle. He kept pushing the fabric away so he could work, but it was stubborn. He muttered curses under his breath, and gave it another push.

“Do you just want me to take it off?” Hyunwoo asked, and Jooheon gasped, stammering slightly. He started to say it was alright, he could suffer through it. But Hyunwoo simply pulled his arm out from the tanks sleeve, leaving one side of his body bare. Jooheon could see the muscles on one side of his back, how toned his side was, a sneak peek of his waist and stomach. He snapped out of his gawking with a shake of his head, mumbling a thanks and trying to stop himself from trembling.

He leaned in close, gripping Hyunwoo’s back to ground him as he worked. The little details must have tickled, because he heard Hyunwoo’s breath catch, exhaling with a light sound. Jooheon grit his teeth, trying to settle down his stirring body. He still had a bit more work to do, he didn’t need the distraction of imaging those noises from more than just his needle.

It was another half hour before he was finished. It could have been done sooner, but Jooheon was a perfectionist. He wanted to make sure it was perfect, everything crisp and clean and detailed. He felt more pressure as Hyunwoo had let him put whatever design he wanted on him. He felt himself sweating, and propped himself on Hyunwoo’s back to wipe at his forehead with the back of his hand. He was comfortable, and he could get used to leaning on Hyunwoo.

When he was done, he gave the tattoo one final wipe before setting the tool down. He exhaled deeply, wiping at more sweat. “It’s all finished.” He declared, and Hyunwoo moved slowly to face him once more. His eyes looked tired, but there was an excited glint in them, whether it was to be able to move again or to see the final product, he didn’t know. He gave Hyunwoo the hand mirror so he could have a proper look at it.

“Whoa.” Hyunwoo’s eyes were wide, looking at the tattoo with an astonished expression. “It’s really good.”

Jooheon beamed, proud of himself. “I’m glad you like it. Would you like a picture? I’ll take one anyway for my Instagram.” Hyunwoo nodded, reaching into his pocket and grabbing his phone to take the picture for him. Jooheon took a few, some close up and some of his whole body for scale. Then he did the same on his phone. When he gave Hyunwoo his phone back, he watched him smile at his pictures, at the mark he left on Hyunwoo’s skin. He felt nervous again. He turned off the music to distract himself. 

“Thank you, Jooheon.” he said after a moment of quiet, breaking the silence in the parlour.

“Thank you Hyunwoo. No one else has put that much trust in me to permanently mark their skin.” He said back with a smile. He then properly bandaged the tattoo to keep it safe, giving Hyunwoo the same speech about the hygiene and care process. He hated to cover the art, and the skin it rested on. He hated watching Hyunwoo put his shirt back on even more. He stood up once everything was done, showing off his height as he pulled out his wallet.

“I knew I could trust you. Your work is really nice. You said $110?” He pulled the amount out in cash from his wallet, and Jooheon winced, remembering he was only here for the service.

“Uh, for the size and labour, just $90.” He answered. He was lying, just being nice based on his own feelings. Hyunwoo didn’t pull anything from the bundle, handing the full amount to Jooheon. He hid his face as he took it with a soft thanks. The sky had changed since they’d started, from blues and greys to pinks and oranges with the sunset.

“Well, I should be going. I’m sure you have plans, it was your day off.” Hyunwoo said quietly, wiping at his chin awkwardly. Jooheon shrugged, starting to put away his supplies and clean up.

“I enjoyed the half day, and I really enjoyed the session. It was no bother. And no, I have no plans.” He insisted, and Hyunwoo ducked his head with a shy expression. “B-but I’m sure you do, so I won’t keep you.”

He didn’t get a reply, and Jooheon assumed he would leave. But he didn’t hear the bell ding from Hyunwoo’s exit. He finished cleaning up everything, giving him a fresh start for his shift the next day. He looked back up at Hyunwoo watching him, a bit closer than he was before. He was hesitant, mouth open like he wanted to speak but held himself back. His hands were balled up, psyching himself up to do something, anything. But he didn’t. They stood there for a few beats, and Jooheon though his heart was going to burst from his chest. The tension in the room reached its boiling point, and Jooheon exhaled shakily.

“Jooheon...Can I…”

“Yes.” Jooheon said softly, and Hyunwoo rushed up to him, pressing him into the wall and kissing him. He wasn’t rough or insistent, pressing comfortably against him, wrapping his arms around his waist so the brick wall wouldn’t dig into him. His lips were soft and warm against his, his mouth moving eagerly but controlled. Jooheon relaxed into him with a soft moan, hands touching his neck and feeling how warm his skin was.

He lowered his hands down his body, careful not to disturb the bandage and sensitive skin of his new tattoo. Hyunwoo deepened the kiss, hugging Jooheon closer in his warm embrace. Jooheon wanted to dig his nails into his back, pull him closer by his shirt, but he didn’t know how far they would go. He hummed into the kiss, and he felt Hyunwoo smile against his lips. Hands roamed but never went past the barrier of their clothes. Hyunwoo pulled back to catch his breath. His lips were already kiss bruised, almost as red as his ears. Jooheon still held onto his back, not wanting to let go of him completely.

“Is this how you treat all your customers?” Hyunwoo asked, guiding him and Jooheon away from being pressed flush against the wall. Jooheon looked up at him in confusion before he realized he was asking in a teasing tone.

“Oh, no. Only the special cases!” He replied, grinning when he made Hyunwoo laugh. He made a soft noise when Hyunwoo pulled back from him, reaching for his hand to grab to make up for the loss. He felt his fingers played with by larger hands.“I don’t let just anyone into my parlour when it’s closed, or let them take my day off just to work on them.” That made Hyunwoo laugh again.

“Right, I guess that isn’t the typical way…” He said shyly, ducking his head.

“No, it wasn’t. But I’m glad it was the case. I think it’s safe to say we both like each other.”

“Yeah…” Hyunwoo pulled back completely, giving Jooheon the room he needed to gather his things to properly close. He started to do so, and Hyunwoo followed. “Jooheon, would you like to...well, keep seeing each other?” Jooheon smiled and nodded, too shy to say anything. He grabbed everything he needed to leave and gestured to Hyunwoo to follow. Hyunwoo looked nervous but relieved, warm eyes watching him close up. “When can I see you next? I don’t want to butt into your schedule again.”

Jooheon turned to Hyunwoo, seeing him in the darkness of the evening, still emitting his warmth. “It’s up to you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This is NOT for my challenge to write every single Monsta X pairing. This was based on the Concert VCR for their 2019 tour, where Jooheon is fiddling around with Shownu as a tattoo artist. It was too cute, I couldn't resist writing this in under two days after seeing that! 
> 
> Don't forget to kudos, comment and look out for my other oneshots! I'll get to your favourite pairing eventually!!  
> Twitter: @vampchangkyun / CuriousCat: vampirepun


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